one choice made

hi friends, I began this morning without coffee, which was not by design but rather a Sunday late-night discovery that I had forgotten to go to the store to grind my beans for the week. When I texted this tragedy to John, he responded with a string of screams:😱😱 This man knows me well. Of course, this is part of 'the charm' of what it means to live on an island without all the conveniences I have inshore, and usually, this is not a problem. Usually, this is just me, not skipping a beat and going with the flow. But, no coffee??? Which is how I found myself, instead, leading my writing circle with a morning mug of milky black tea, and actually? It was entirely more pleasant than I thought possible—but isn't that often the case? We believe the world is supposed to be one way; we believe we know best, or at least I do, when often the universe has a better plan if only we allow ourselves to let go. I've been feeling this a lot of late. This is clearly about more than coffee. Ever since last month's deep partial lunar eclipse, I've felt one part of myself open and another close, neither being the one I thought it initially to be, bringing me to a place of deep reckoning about the impact of my desire to be in control and the detrimental impact of such actions, even when my intentions are good, even when they come from a place of love and care, even if someone has asked for my assistance. Sometimes my opinions and my help are not helpful. I thought returning to Monhegan would be a welcome exhale. I was looking forward to having this time completely to myself—no John, no dogs. Time to prepare for my upcoming programs, to be present for myself in service of giving myself fully to others in ease, and mostly that has been true. But sometimes things don't go as planned, or at least according to my plan. Sometimes we are surprised by what brings us to our knees. I didn't expect to cry when I saw John's empty hiking shoes in the boot tray, knowing they would remain untouched all month. And that was only the beginning. Yes, this human comes with baggage, but clearly, so do I, and he is a part of what makes my life complicated and messy and whole. If we are to believe the wisdom of astrology on IG, here is my horoscope for the week: One choice made from your worth is enough to shift your entire life. Lately, I've been understanding my worth in an entirely different way. In this morning's writing, we honored the writing of Wendell Berry and his teachings, readingHow to Be a Poet When I forget how I want to be in the world, Berry is a voice I find myself returning to with frequency, for he reminds me what it means to be alive, what it means to be a poet in the world, whether you ever write a single line of poetry becasue the true gift we are offered is simply to be in the world at all, connected to our senses, open to breathing everything in with wonder, and then making something of it. These are noble tasks to honor on this Labor Day because each and every one of us, simply by the condition of our existence, is going to make something—the question becomes: what do you choose to create, and how do you choose to be? I want to be a poet in the world even if I never write a single word again. But more than anything, I want my words to never be construed as a weapon. One choice made from your worth is enough to shift your whole life. Of course, none of this means I'm letting go of coffee, but I'm paying attention; I'm listening to what the universe wants me to hear rather than assuming I know the way. I'm leaving you with this last night's blazing sunset and forty-six seconds of birdsong, my Carolina wren, American sea gull, cedar waxwing symphony. The world in poetry. as always, thanks for reading ~ xosew Leave a comment Every Monday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. ET,start your week in creativity and community. Whether you already have a project whispering to you or are simply seeking a little inspiration, let's write together! We begin by greeting one another in the sleepy moments of the morning, then sit in silence before we write. Not sure where to start? Don't worry ~ I always offer a poem and a prompt (or two) as a portal into possibility and discovery. Register once, and the link is yours forever ✍🏻This is a free offering for all; however, if you find you are attending regularly and wish to make a donation in support, you can alwaysbuy me a book. I want to join the circle I am in awe of Sarah's selection of poetry that she reads to us and the prompts she inspires for written response. Through this practice, I've learned that poetry is alive and stirs life within. Poetry creates context for all those matters of being human, and I feel blessed every time I show up to be with this group ~ Kris, Owls Head, ME when women were birds: murmuration, memoir, meditation is full want to be the first to know about 2027 retreat and residency programs on Monhegan? Thanks for reading narrative threads: from breath to pen! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work